The 21st Conference of the Parties to the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change in Paris was the culmination of an unprecedented year of UN activity, which produced the Sendai Framework for Disaster Reduction, the Sustainable Development Goals and finally the Paris Agreement.

In my talk I will briefly trace the history of our understanding of how climate changes, review the progress of the UNFCCC and the broader issues that prevented agreement at earlier COPs, before moving on to describe the interlinked threads that culminated in Paris. I shall conclude by emphasising the risks and challenges that remain.

This event will take place on the 8th February at the Norman Lockyer Observatory.